Tuesday, February 14, 2012

“Put off the old man, who is committed according
to the desire of error, and put on the new man, who according to God is created
in justice and truth'' (Eph. iv. 22). The object of Christian self-denial is to
acquire purity of heart. This is done (1) by purging our consciences of the guilt
of sin; (2) by doing penance for our sins; (3) by rooting out our bad habits;
(4) by conquering our evil inclinations; (5) and by planting the seed of virtue
in our hearts. As the grace of God is the efficient cause of this purification,
we can make our self- denial productive only by sanctifying it by prayer. In
fact self-denial and prayer must be the inseparable companions of every one
that journeys on the narrow way.

2. Motive of Self
-Denial — The Fear of the Lord.

“Fear Him that can destroy both soul and body
in hell'' (Matt. xix. 28). The fear of the Lord is reverence for God on account
of His power to punish all who violate His holy law. God is everywhere and sees
all things. "In Him we live, and move, and are." He has given no one
an indefinite lease on life, “At what hour you know not the Son of man will
come." ''It is appointed unto man once to die, and after this, the
judgment." "Then will He render to every man according to his
works." But as “the Lord is good to them that hope in Him, to the soul
that seeketh Him," the Savior exhorts us to be converted and live. ''Do
penance," He says, '' for the kingdom of God is at hand." And St.
Paul assures us that if we judge ourselves, we shall not be judged" by
God. Thus the mercy of God gives the sinner hope and inspires him with
incipient love, while the fear of the Lord prompts him to be converted and live.
Indeed, '' It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God"
(Heb. X. 31).

3. Order in Self
-Denial.

To insure the success of an undertaking we must
do three things: (1) Concentrate our efforts on what is essential; (2) follow a
wise plan in our development; (3) and pay proper attention to the smallest
details in due season.

In applying these general rules to the work of
self-denial the masters of the spiritual life direct us (1) to purify our
hearts first from mortal sin, its proximate occasion, and the bad habit it may
have engendered; (2) in eradicating venial sin, to concentrate our efforts
first on external sins that easily scandalize our neighbor; (3) with the advice
of our spiritual director to single out our predominant fault and make it the
object of particular examination; (4) finally, to be humble, patient, and persevering
in our efforts, and to put our hope of success in Jesus and Mary.

4. Signs of Self
-Denial

As the resistance of the wind or of the waves and
the passing of landmarks indicate the speed with which we progress on land or
on water, so there are certain signs that indicate our progress on the way to
perfection: (1) the ease and persistence with which we go against our natural likes
from a motive of faith indicates the subjugation of nature to grace; (2)
detestation of sin and the avoidance of its voluntary occasions is another sure
sign of a soul's true conversion to God; (3) holy indifference, or detachment
from the world and earthly things; (4) the dominion we exercise over our
passions, or triumph over the flesh; (5) and the facility we acquire in practicing
humility and obedience are sure signs of progress in self-denial.

6. Counsels on
Self-Denial.

In the practice of Christian self-denial we should
(1) guard against excessive scrupulosity by cultivating that loving confidence
in God which is the foundation of interior peace, imparts to us the liberty of
brethren of Jesus Christ, and facilitates our perseverance; (2) we should be
discreet in our efforts so as not to unbalance our minds, ruin our health, or
give us a distaste for spiritual things; (3) we should concentrate our efforts
on the present, and trust with the aid of grace to do great things for the love
of God; (4) we should never relax our vigilance, our penance, or our prayers;
(5) we should ever prepare for greater conflicts, and not judge our victory by
the presence of sensible sweetness in our souls. This God gives us in the
beginning to draw us on in the spiritual life; (6) we should not despair even
if we had the misfortune to fall into mortal sin, but begin anew in all
humility.

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This blog is originally entitled PRAYERBOOK FOR RELIGIOUS (An online version of Fr. Francis Xavier Lasance's PRAYERBOOK FOR RELIGIOUS: A Complete Manual of Prayers and Devotions for the Use of the Members of All Religious Communities, originally published by Benziger Brothers, 1914.)

I have decided to widen the scope of this blog. So, in addition to the prayers from the Prayerbook for Religious, I will now post articles about the spiritual life and other things Catholic.

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V: Let us pray for our Pope Francis. R: May the Lord preserve him, and give him life, and make him blessed upon the earth, and deliver him not up to the will of his enemies. V: May Thy hand be ever upon the man of Thy right hand. R: And upon the son of man whom Thou hast confirmed unto thee. Let us Pray. O God, Shepherd and Ruler of all Thy faithful people, look mercifully upon Thy servant Benedict, whom Thou hast chosen as shepherd to preside over Thy Church. Grant him, we beseech Thee, that by his word and example, he may edify those over whom he hath charge, so that together with the flock committed to him, may he attain everlasting life. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.